Foreign Ministry freezing most diplomatic activity due to lack of funds

The Foreign Ministry says it is being forced to freeze most of its diplomatic activities worldwide due to a lack of funds.

The instruction was given by the Finance Ministry’s accountant general due to the significant deficit in the ministry’s budget.

“The main effect is that during this sensitive time, when faced with diplomatic and strategic challenges, first and foremost among them the threat by Iran and its proxies — and on the eve of a UN Security Council summit — the Foreign Ministry and its missions abroad will be almost entirely paralyzed,” the ministry says.

The ministry calls the Finance Ministry’ move “unprecedented.” While it acknowledges a serious deficit, it says it is a result of under-funding against which it has warned “time and again.”

The ministry says Foreign Minister Israel Katz is working to solve the crisis.

— with Raphal Ahren